Pep Guardiola's Manchester City recorded a fourth straight win with a 3-1 victory over Everton at Goodison Park.
The encounter was end to end, although City's quality showed in the final third as Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling netted to ensure City went back to within five points of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
Story of the match
The first chance of the game came inside the first minute as Mahrez cut in from the right and fired from distance, saved by Jordan Pickford.
Theo Walcott had to be replaced inside the first five minutes after being hit in the back of the head whilst blocking Raheem Sterling’s cross. Alex Iwobi replaced the English winger.
On the 10 minute mark, Ilkay Gundogan recorded an early contender for miss of the season.
Mahrez fired a low cross across goal where the German waited, three yards out, to somehow hit the bar.
More of the same followed as the 20-minute mark approached, with Mahrez and Sterling on the flanks particularly causing many problems for the Toffees’ backline.
The champions then got the reward their early pressure deserved.
Mahrez pulled the ball back to De Bruyne who, in typical De Bruyne fashion, whipped a peach of a cross into the box where Jesus waited to head home. The Brazilians fifth in five games against the Evertonians.
Marco Silva’s men tried to fight back into the game, with Richarlison looking the most likely to get his side ticking.
The home side then got themselves level.
Iwobi got on the end of a ball into the area where Fernandinho’s soft clearance fell to Seamus Coleman, who dinked the ball over the advancing Ederson before Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s diving header ensured the ball ended up in the back of the net and ensured Everton drew level.
Jesus had a chance to grab his second as Mahrez set him up, although widely lashed at the chance with his left boot, ballooning the ball high into the Gwlady’s Street End. 1-1 at the break.
The second 45 kicked off in similar fashion to the first, with the away side on the front foot.
Gundogan and De Bruyne had half-chances straight off the bat as the champions started the quicker of the two sides.
Everton then looked to get a goal of their own. Yerry Mina missed a golden opportunity from a set-piece, heading the ball straight into the ground just after Richarlison had missed a similarly good chance with his head. End to end stuff.
On the hour mark, Mahrez was again in the middle of the action as he slotted a superb through ball to Sterling, who one on one with the ‘keeper and uncharacteristically slotted wide – the best chance of the half.
Into the final quarter, it became clear the Everton were happy to settle for a point and that City would continue to pile the pressure on.
Sergio Aguero was introduced and the Blues were flooding forward in more and more numbers.
With 20 minutes to play, Mahrez picked up a free-kick on the edge of the box and drilled it past Pickford to give City the lead.
Questions will be asked of Pickford, with the ball not being struck with too much venom and also being on his side, although Mahrez deserved the goal for his superb efforts throughout.
Calvert-Lewin had an enormous chance to get the home side back level, as Gylfi Sigurdsson’s through ball saw him one on one with Ederson before the Brazilian brilliantly denied him.
Ederson then again came to City's rescue to deny Mina with a header from the corner as City found themselves just about hanging on to all the points late in the game.
Against the run of play, in true champion-like fashion, the Citizens then ran down the other end and sealed the victory.
Aguero's shot from a tight angle was parried out by Pickford straight into the path of Sterling, who rattled the ball off the bar and in with his weak foot.
The full-time whistle drew an end to a terrific encounter, whilst drawing City back to within five points of Liverpool.
Takeaways from the game
Further dodgy defending
City’s defensive worries continued today, with them again looking less than convincing at the back. Questions have been asked of Nicolas Otamendi regularly in recent weeks, although it was weak defending from Fernandinho, slotting in at centre-back, that cost City a goal today.
Should Guardiola’s men make it a third successive title, they’ll need to iron out the defensive issue to avoid further dropped points.
Everton can compete with the best
Going into this season, questions were asked of the likes of Everton as to how they can compete with the top six.
Silva's side beat Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the back end of last season, raising plenty of reason to be optimistic going into the new campaign.
The Toffees were extremely competitive today against one of the best sides in Europe, and should they iron out some of the dodgy results they have against lesser opposition, there is no reason as to why they can't push for a top-six spot.
Magical Mahrez
In the 2015/16 season, Mahrez’s majestic displays earned him the PFA Player of the Year award, as well as bringing the title to Leicester City.
Mahrez hasn’t reached the same heights since, leading to pundits, such as Gary Neville, being critical of the Algerian in recent times. Despite this, Mahrez looks to be getting back to his best.
The left-footed right-winger has been brilliant for City in recent weeks, and again looked the Blues’ biggest threat today. A huge boost for Guardiola to have yet another elite attacking option.